Magni cation in Neural Information Channel Maps

Many cortical maps are found in biological organisms. In these maps, related units tend to be collected close to each other, and important inputs typically have a magniied representation on the map. We consider an interpretation of these structures as maps of parallel information-bearing channels, rather than winner-take-all maps such as the Kohonen self-organizing map (SOM). By considering the information transmitted across the map in the presence of output noise and a total power limit, magniication arises naturally as a requirement for most eecient representation of information by the map.